83 Cases of Autism Associated with Childhood Vaccine Just “Tip of the Iceberg”

Health Impact News Editor Comments:

Members of the Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy (EBCALA), along with parents and children who received federal vaccine injury compensation, held a press conference in Washington D.C. on Tuesday (5/10/2011) announcing a study published in the Pace Environmental Law Review that looked at actual cases of brain injuries due to vaccines that were compensated in the government’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The study found 83 cases (and still counting) of autism, showing that the government has known about the autism – vaccine link for many years now, due to the millions of dollars awarded to parents for these brain injuries.

The parents at the press conference, along with EBCALA law center, are calling on Congress to open up an investigation into this alleged cover-up immediately. They claim that the cases uncovered by this study are just the “tip of the iceberg” and that many parents of vaccine-damaged children are not being compensated at all.

All of the parents at the press conference stated that they were NOT anti-vaccine. The purpose for them coming forward at this time is to stand up for the vaccine injured. They claim the government is ignoring the problems by denying the vaccine – autism link, while at the same time admitting there is an autism epidemic in the U.S. One of the parents present (see interview below), Dr. Sarah Bridges, stated that in the 11 years since her son was awarded compensation due to brain injury, not once has anyone contacted them to find out how the child was doing, or to use their case for further study as to why some children suffer autism and brain damage due to vaccines.

Dr. Hoffman spoke with Attorney and advocate for vaccine safety, Mary Holland, Director of the Gradulate Legal Skills Program at NYU School of Law to discuss the highly controversial debate over vaccinations in children and their recent press conference. Dr. Hoffman and Mrs. Holland covered the many cases of parents who’ve filed suit in cases of children having autism and the link, or lack there of, to vaccinations. Listen to the archived program here.

UPDATE 5/13/2011

From the Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy Facebook Page: “We were gratified that congressional staff came to the briefing and asked very good questions about the VICP. We need your help to continue to pressure your Congressional reps to move forward with an investigation into the VICP. We will be in touch soon with more ideas about what you can do.”

Fox 25 in Boston has reported that Congress will hold hearings Thursday regarding the vaccine autism link as a result of a new study published in the Pace Environmental Law Review yesterday. In the interview below, Dr. Richard Deth, a Ph.D professor of pharmacology at Northeastern University, states that there is clear evidence of a link between vaccines and autism in some children, and that these cases are not being examined. When questioned on the CDC position that there are no links, Dr. Deth replied that the CDC has an agenda that could motivate them to cover up the evidence. Watch the interview below:

The authors of the article, “Unanswered Questions from the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program: A Review of Compensated Cases of Vaccine-Induced Brain Injury, ” published in the peer-reviewed Pace Environmental Law Review, vol. 28, no. 2, will discuss their findings that associate vaccine injury and autism.

The article, released on Tuesday, May 10, is a first-of-its-kind investigation, providing critical information for legislators and staff on the Congressionally-created Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).

The authors will also be prepared to discuss the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent Bruesewitz v. Wyeth decision, which preempts all vaccine injury claims associated with vaccine design defect from civil court.

UPDATE 5/10/2011: Foxnews interviewed Mary Holland of New York University of Law about today’s Press Release (video below). We have been monitoring the press coverage (which is not much!), and most of it is negative and ridiculing the parents and authors of the study. Outside of Fox News, here is a attempt at a fair report from Medscape: Anti-Vaccine Proponents Claim Court Paid for Autism Cases – although the title is misleading as are some of the things reported. For a good response from one of the author’s of the study, see here.